A prisoner was arrested on a charge of assault after beating up his cellmate who told him to stop snoring, according to police in Florida.

St. Lucie County police said that they have arrested 45-year-old Cedric Maynor, after punching the face of his cellmate because he criticized his loud snoring during the night.

Maynor was charged with battery upon a detainee by an inmate in a jail facility.

In court, Maynor pleaded not guilty to the charge, saying that he punched his cellmate in self defense as he was prevented from sleeping.

According to the police investigation, the incident unfolded on Monday around 11:30 p.m., at the St. Lucie County jail. The victim told investigators that Maynor hit him because he complained about his snoring.

The victim asked jail staff to remove Maynor because he was snoring too loudly and preventing him from sleeping. The victim was told to put cotton in his ear and try to sleep.

However, the victim woke Maynor and told him to stop snoring.

The victim then told Maynor that if he can’t sleep then nobody will sleep. A fight then broke out between Maynor and the victim.